Canada; St. John's, Newfoundland to Halifax, Nova Scotia
Week 6:
My favourite part... It was great to have a slower week and unwind a bit! (Vacay from a vacay.. Imagine!)
Miles... 484
Day 33: St. John's, NL
45 miles
This morning started with partridgeberry tea biscuits topped with partridgeberry jam.. Yum!! Headed down the road for church, then were invited to stay for lunch and a lovely visit. We headed out mid afternoon and returned to the university then we went out to Petty Harbor & Cape Spear, the most easterly point in North America! Very neat to see the coastline and a couple lighthouses there; it also provided a great view of signal hill and a lingering iceberg! On the way home, we went out to Fort Amherst to see the opposite side of the narrows from Signal hill and a great view of the city! We picked up a pizza for dinner and headed home where an old friend met us for dinner. Great to have a chance to catch up with her and very much enjoyed the evening.
Day 34: St. John's, NL to Angentia, NL
84 miles
Slept in a little this morning, then got ready for the day and packed up, although there was no need to rush as it's raining today. Really raining. And foggy. And cold. After lazing about, we checked out of the hotel at the required 11 am and headed the 3kms over to the mall. Just far enough to get soaked, but we rewarded ourselves with some delicious Pad Thai and wandered the mall until we had no choice but to brace ourselves and head straight to the ferry. We got checked in for the 2:30 and barely began getting thawed out in the terminal before it was time to board. Once aboard, we set about strapping down our bikes and gathering up what we wanted to take up for our 14 hour ferry ride. We spent the first couple hours snacking and reading; we set sail ahead of schedule around 4:45. Unfortunately, it didn't take too long for me to be feeling the rolling boat rolling my stomach. By that point, the fog was so thick that there was no horizon to focus on; thankfully a kind lady offered me some gravol. A little while later I managed to find a green apple (well.. green-ish.. and most-expensive-of-my-life-apple.. ) and promptly succumbed to sleep, the saving grace which got me through the night..
Day 35: North Sydney, NS to Halifax, NS
309 miles
We arrived into North Sydney, Nova Scotia around 7am and I was incredibly thankful to have my feet back on solid ground. Putting my still-wet helmet and gear on didn't feel too great, but eventually it did dry out. We headed into Sydney and found a spot for some breakfast... the options were a bit thin so it ended up being Timmies. After breakfast, we checked out the worlds largest fiddle (another 'who knew' moment), and then headed down the coast of Bras D'or Lake through the east side of Cape Breton. We stopped at a set of locks along the way, the only double-doored locks in Canada; the tide is different on both sides, so either could be the higher side. We stopped at the Canso Causeway for a picnic lunch while the bridge swung for a sailboat, then carried on following Marine Drive into Halifax! We stopped in Dartmouth for Thai again, then arrived at the hostel around 7. Once checked in, we went for a walk down to the waterfront and followed the length of the boardwalk. So gorgeous! Saw the Bluenose II and several other sailboats, then made our way back to the hostel to call it a night.
Day 36: Halifax, NS
46 miles
I woke up to the not-so-peaceful sounds of a busy construction crew right outside the window... but not all was lost since we needed to move the bikes from the metered parking at 8 anyhow. We wandered the streets until nearly 9 in search of parking, and finally settled on a side street. So frustrating! By the time that was settled, getting some breakfast was top priority so we headed up to the first place we spotted, Cora's. I had a waffle with a ton of fruit on it and thoroughly enjoyed the freshness of it! From there, we headed back to the bikes and got things sorted for dad to head homeward. When he had left, I headed up to the Halifax Citadel for a look around the site there. It was very interesting to see and our guide made the tour a lot of fun. I was there in time to see the noon day canon fired, and then headed back to shift my bike and ditch my sweater in exchange for shorts. Shocking, I know, shorts!! It's finally warm enough to consider shorts!! I wandered my way through a few shops, heading for the Public gardens. Gorgeous! After a peaceful meander, I worked my way back to the hostel to heat up my leftovers for lunch, then went down to the harbourfront to enjoy that a little more. After soaking in some sunshine and taking in the sights, I headed out of town for a couple days for a peaceful glimpse of heaven.
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| Halifax Public Gardens |
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| Halifax |
Days 37-40:
0 miles
A restful, unplugged & much-needed few days..
J.
Design Life. Inspire Wonder.
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